Paladin (Earth-616)
Paul Dennis, Paul Denning | Identity = Secret | Affiliation = Formerly , , , , , , , , | Relatives = | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = Mobile | Gender = Male | Height = 6'2" | Weight = 225 lbs. | Eyes = Brown | Hair = Brown | UnusualFeatures = | Citizenship = United States | Citizenship2 = | MaritalStatus = | Occupation = Mercenary, private investigator | Education = | Origin = Human, Trained mercenary & science-based mutate (unconfirmed) | PlaceOfBirth = Tempe, Arizona (unconfirmed) | Creators = Jim Shooter; Carmine Infantino | First = Daredevil #150 | Quotation = This superhero thing can be a lot of fun, if you don't take it too seriously. | Speaker = Paladin | QuoteSource = Marvel Comics Presents Vol 1 21 | HistoryText = Paladin was a mercenary and private investigator. He sought Daredevil while engaged in an assignment to track down the Purple Man, and battled Daredevil. He clashed with Daredevil a second time after the crime fighter inadvertently interfered with Paladin's search for the Purple Man. Paladin allied with Daredevil in battle against the Cobra, the Jester, and Mister Hyde, who were under the control of the Purple Man. Paladin next battled the Phantasm. Paladin aided the Wasp against Baron Brimstone, acquired a modified uniform, and began a romance with the Wasp. Paladin aided the Avengers in battle against the Masters of Evil IV. Paladin also allied with Spider-Man and the Wasp against mobsters. Paladin was later employed by Silver Sable to investigate a conspiracy which threatened her native country of Symkaria, and he allied with Spider-Man. Paladin was then hired by Diamondback to raid Serpent Society headquarters. He was captured, but freed by Captain America. Paladin accompanied Captain America in his search for Diamondback, the Asp, and Black Mamba. With his new allies, Paladin battled Superia's horde of female superhumans. An unabashed womanizer, Paladin would often flirt with any woman who caught his eye. He briefly dated the Wasp at a time when she was separated from Hank Pym, much to the Black Knight's jealousy, who was also attracted to her. For a time, he enlisted Generation X into helping him retrieve a sword for Adrienne Frost, the sister of Emma Frost. During this period, the mutant known as Jubilee was strongly attracted to Paladin, but that affection disappeared when Generation X and Paladin later went their separate ways. He has also been a longtime ally to Silver Sable and her Wild Pack organization, working for pay, of course. He once helped them protect a scientist from a kidnapping attempt by the Heroes for Hire, a group he would later join. His main opponent was Misty Knight, who seemed to be an equal match. Paladin has a certain amount of honor. For example, he was once hired by a corrupt government to assist rebels as part of a sting operation. He aided the rebels in a bomb-laying operation at a government facility. When the rebels were caught, his government handler remarked how lucky they were that the bomb had not gone off. Paladin replied, "I'm sorry, that would have been extra," and activated the bomb by remote control while driving away. He was offered 10 million dollars by mobster Vincent Mangano to kill the Punisher. Paladin agreed to this arrangement, but did not succeed, and in the ensuing fight both of his legs were broken by the U.S. Agent. Paladin once took down Daredevil with a sniper rifle from a helicopter at a great distance. He did so for the FBI, in exchange for getting his record expunged. The hit, while serious, was not fatal, though did lead to Daredevil's arrest. Civil War During the Civil War resulting from the Superhero Registration Act, Paladin accepted an offer from Misty Knight and Colleen Wing to join the new Heroes for Hire, purely for the money. However, Paladin betrayed the team on their second mission when Misty Knight took them to see the underground Captain America to try and talk him into a peaceful resolution after the death of Goliath. Seeing a bigger pay day Paladin struck a trap with the intention of capturing Captain America for S.H.I.E.L.D.. However, the trap failed to capture Shang-Chi who was able to turn the tables on Paladin. Captain America then swapped costumes with the unconscious Paladin and S.H.I.E.L.D. took him into custody believing he was the Captain. Dark Reign/Siege Paladin worked on Norman Osborn's newly formed Thunderbolts team. Despite having few qualms about injuring and if necessary, killing, Paladin was one of the few members of the team to have something of a moral compass, finding the entire Thunderbolts program to be something of a cruel joke, a sentiment felt even greater by teammate Ant-Man. When Osborn captured Black Widow and former-Thunderbolt Songbird, the entire team was present to what would have been their execution, a combination of Paladin, Ant-Man and Ghost having a change of heart as well as Secret Warrior Phobos intervening saved the women's lives. Paladin and Ant Man's friendship and reluctant villainy came to an optimistic end during Osborn's siege of Asgard. The entire Thunderbolts team was deployed to infiltrate the city and obtain Odin's Spear - a weapon famed to turn the tide of battle in favor of its holder. After defeating several Asgardians, a run in with the Mighty Avengers and numerous squabblings with other members of the team, the spear was finally obtained. Though Mister X attempted to keep the spear for himself it was Paladin who walked away with it in the end. When the Siege drew to a dramatic close, Osborn's Thunderbolts team had officially disbanded with several members either dead or captured. Ant-Man and Paladin were the only ones to actually escape the incident (along with Taskmaster and Constrictor), with the latter still in possession of Odin's spear. Shadowland Recently Paladin surfaced in New York city during Shadowland again as a mercenary, this time hired to eliminate mobsters. When his target was found dead baring the insignia of Ninja clan The Hand Paladin initially assumed the murder had been committed by vigilante Shroud, who was also investigating the suspicious crime. After a brief confrontation, Shroud reasoned that the murder was too severe to be of Daredevil's doing and suggested the two should team up to determine the real perpetrator. Paladin only agreed on the basis that someone else having killed his quarry meant that he would not be paid and therefore wanted to get even. Both heroes sleuthing brought them to bionic-private investigator Misty Knight and international bounty hunter Silver Sable, who recognized Paladin instantly. All four individuals were in fact investigating the same crime and resolved to work together. On a hunch of Misty's Paladin went to New York's Chinatown district in search of Mr. Negative, a crime lord who may have been behind the murders. This turned out to be a dead end as Negative had already been probed by Spider-Man and Shang Chi and subsequently attacked by The Hand. Eventually Misty and Silver deduced the murders were in fact the actions of several New York policemen disguised as Hand Ninja and getting revenge on criminals who had narrowly skirted conviction. The Hand themselves were furious at being impersonated and a battle erupted between all parties. Afterwards, thanks to the four heroes combined efforts, The Hand were subdued and the corrupted policemen all arrested. Heroes for Hire Paladin served as a member of Heroes for Hire and developed feelings for Misty Knight, working alongside several heroes in various missions he discovered that the Heroes for Hire team was set up by the Purple man to eliminate rival criminals. When Purple Man set up his own Villains for Hire team, Paladin went undercover as the team's Scourge. | Powers = * Superhuman Strength: Able to press one ton * Superhuman Speed: Paladin is capable of running and moving at speeds greater than even the finest human athlete. * Superhuman Stamina: Paladin's musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human. He can exert himself at peak capacity physically for several hours before fatigue begins to impair him. * Enhanced Durability: Paladin's bodily tissues are somewhat harder and more resistant to injury than those of an ordinary human. While not invulnerable, his body can withstand blunt and impact forces that would severely injure or kill and ordinary human with mild to moderate discomfort. * Enhanced Agility: Paladin's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete. * Superhuman Reflexes: Paladin's reaction time is enhanced to a level that is beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete. | Abilities = Skilled Martial Artist Paladin is a skilled martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant, blending boxing with Judo and Taekwondo. Skilled Espionage Agent Paladin has proficiency in espionage methods and marksmanship. He was also a former bodyguard. | Strength = Paladin is superhumanly strong and is capable of pressing about 1 ton. | Weaknesses = | Equipment = Paladin wears a body-suit of synthetic stretch fabric, and his boots, gloves, helmet, torso, and knee and elbow guards are made of bulletproof composite materials. Paladin's helmet is equipped with a belt activated faceplate which slides down to make the helmet airtight, and has its own one hour air supply. The lenses in Paladin's helmet can be adjusted for infrared vision. | Transportation = | Weapons = Paladin typically uses his Stun-Gun, which generates enough force to disrupt the nervous system sufficiently to render most people unconscious. However, he has been known to use more conventional firearms. After Siege, Paladin escaped the fall of Asgard with Gungnir, the spear of Odin. | Trivia = | Links = }} Category:Martial Arts Category:Superhuman Strength Category:50-State Initiative members Category:Weapons Expert Category:Spider-Virus Victims Category:Athletic Skills Category:Superhuman Stamina Category:Superhuman Reflexes